Four Waves of Feminism

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First Wave of Feminism

The first wave of feminism began in the 1830s and lasted until the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920. The main focus during this time was freedom of oppression and social reformation. Women understood that the only way they could bring about significant change was to gain the right to vote. So, much of the petitioning during the first wave was for white women’s suffrage, with some emphasis on economic and reproductive rights as well.

4Fourth Wave of Feminism

Not long after the third wave ended, the fourth wave made its way into the United States and other countries with the help of the Internet. Online movements like #MeToo and #BringBackOurGirls brought the ideas of intersectionality and inclusion to the feminist agenda. Additionally, this wave carried over the focus on body positivity and the fight against sexual violence. It is said to have ended in 2018.

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Second Wave of Feminism

A post-World War II country brought on a second wave from the 1960s to the late 1980s. After taking over the labor force while their husbands went off to fight, some women desired to continue being independent, working mothers even after the war was over. Largely influenced by Betty Friedan’s book, The Feminine Mystique, this wave rallied around breaking down gender norms. Women pushed for equality in education and in the workforce, as well as fought for reproductive health. Similar to the first wave, the second wave exclusively focused on white women only.

5Fifth Wave of Feminism

Some scholars believe that we are currently in the fifth wave. Now, almost 200 years after the first wave, the ideology does not and should not apply to gender only. Rather, this wave should consider the disparities that all under-represented groups suffer. Activists and supporters should use their efforts and platforms to promote resolving all types of issues that exist in the world today.

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Third Wave of Feminism

The third wave of feminism picked up in the 1990s and carried on until the mid-2000s.

This was a much more inclusive wave, with white women bringing in minority groups that were previously left out of the movement in fear of them ruining its agenda. The fight for equal treatment in the workforce continued on, but new to this wave was more fervor and focus on political representation, reproductive rights, and sexuality. The use of pop culture and the media helped to fuel the fire behind female empowerment and increase support for the rallying against negative portrayals of body image and sexuality.

The data that you are about to see demonstrates the struggles that women have, and have yet to, overcome in the fight for equality.